Lie to Me (Pearl Island Trilogy #4)(83)

A knock on the door jarred her.

“Chloe?” Allison called cheerfully. “It’s me. How was your trip?”

She froze. If she ignored the knock would her aunt go away? No, Allison knew she was back. She had to answer.

Giving in, she went and opened the door without even trying to hide the emotions ravaging her face. The pain cut too deep for her to care. Allison’s smile vanished the instant she saw her.

“Oh, goodness, what’s wrong?” Allison opened her arms.

Chloe went into the embrace eagerly, letting Allison hold her. “I just broke up with Luc.”

“What?” Allison kept an arm around her as they went to the sofa and sat. “I didn’t even know you’d gotten back together.”

After Chloe told her everything that had happened through choking tears, Allison sat quietly, squeezing her hand.

“I can’t believe that,” Allison said in shock. “Actually, I can. I swear, I hate that man. I’ve never hated anyone else in my life, but I hate John LeRoche.”

“He’s always been autocratic, but this was different,” Chloe told her, wiping at her cheeks. “He really scared me this time.”

“Because he’s losing control,” Allison said. “When he lost Pearl Island he was furious, but he still had LeRoche Shipping. Now he’s losing control of that, too. Even if Harold saves the company, John will no longer be at the helm. That has to be hard for a man who’s rarely crossed or challenged.”

Bitterness made Chloe’s teeth clench. “I hope Harold takes over completely and kicks John out of the office.”

Allison looked at her as if stunned, yet hopeful. “Do you think Harold has the backbone to do it?”

“I do.” Chloe let the hope she’d felt in New Orleans soften her anguish. “Alli, wait until you meet him. He’s amazing. And he’s exactly what my mother has always needed. He actually wants to be a dad to me. Do you know how it feels to have that possibility set in front of me, and then have John threaten to snatch it away?”

“If Harold has enough backbone to stand up to John over the company, I doubt he’s the kind of man who will let John tell him how to manage his family.”

“Except it won’t be his decision.” The pain returned, twisting at her heart. “Diane will have to follow John’s orders if she doesn’t want DeeDee to ostracize her, and you know DeeDee won’t stand up to him. He always wins, Allison. No matter who gets hurt in the process, John LeRoche always gets his way.”

“What are you going to do?” Allison asked.

“What I have to do. If I don’t give John the necklace, the whole family will be torn apart.”

“Chloe,” Allison said, taking both her hands. “That’s on them, not you.”

“What does it matter who’s to blame?”

“Is it worth giving up the chance of finding love with Luc?”

“I did find love with Luc. Oh God.” She closed her eyes. “How is it possible to spend so few days with someone and have them suddenly mean so much?”

“Love doesn’t wear a watch. Time has nothing to do with what we feel.”

“I don’t want to lose him.” Fresh tears welled up from the bottom of Chloe’s pain. “It’s killing me.”

“Then don’t let him go.” Allison gave her hands a fierce squeeze. “When you get the necklace, fly back to New Orleans and give it to Luc.”

“I want to, but…” She looked away as fear swirled through her.

“But what?”

“What if this thing with him doesn’t last?” she finally admitted. Turning back to Allison, she searched her aunt’s eyes, beseeching her for answers. “What if I tear my family apart, and a year from now, Luc and I don’t even like each other? Then I will have lost everything. At least if I give the necklace to John, he can’t make me a wedge between DeeDee and Diane.”

“Oh, Chloe.” Allison sighed as a sad smile softened her face. “How can you doubt that Marguerite was willing to sacrifice being with the man she loved for the sake of her daughter, when you’re willing to sacrifice so much for others? Like Marguerite, though, you’re making the wrong choice.”

Chloe’s breath caught. She’d never truly believed that Marguerite sacrificed her own happiness for her daughter’s sake, but in that moment, she understood. When you loved someone, protecting them meant more than your own happiness. She looked at her aunt as the heartbreak of that filled her. “How do I know which choice is right?”

“Follow your heart.” Allison smiled encouragingly. “See if you can fly.”

“What if I can’t?” Chloe asked.

“You’ll never know unless you try.”





Chapter 22





The next morning, Chloe sat on the driftwood log where she’d found the necklace, staring at the cloth bundle in her lap. Mr. Hendricks from the Texas Seaport Museum had personally delivered the necklace to the Pearl Island Inn shortly after breakfast. He’d been sorry to lose the item for the display about the Freedom, but he also seemed pleased to see it go to Chloe. She had done her best to show proper enthusiasm, but inside she felt sick.